Compact butter maker

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a compact, powered butter maker including a drive housing, a cream container, a drive, and a dasher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Butter is a common food fat product that has been used throughoutthe world for centuries as an ingredient of other foods or as acondiment. Today, butter is commonly made on an industrial scale withapparatus suitable for handling tens, hundreds, or more gallons of creamor milk. In a day before commercial creameries, butter was commonly madein the home using mechanical churns that, typically, were manuallyoperated. As commercial creameries became prevalent, home butter makingbecame less popular and advances in equipment for home butter makingslowed. As a result, modern improvements in kitchen appliances have notbeen incorporated into home butter makers. Therefore, there remains aneed for a butter maker that can be conveniently used in a contemporaryhome kitchen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a butter maker that can be usedin the contemporary home kitchen. The butter maker of the invention iscompact and will fit on a counter or other surface in a home kitchen.The butter maker includes a cream container, a drive housing, a drive,and a dasher. The drive housing houses a drive, which is coupled to thedasher and adapted and configured to drive the dasher in reciprocalmotion. The drive housing and the cream container are adapted andconfigured to reversibly mate and to position the dasher in the creamcontainer for reciprocal motion within the container. The dasher and thecontainer have complementary shapes with the dasher dimension to fitwithin the container and to define a space that can be occupied by creamwithin the container and around the dasher. Reciprocal motion of thedasher within the container converts the cream to butter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0003]FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the butter makerof the invention.

[0004]FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of gearing coupling motor to wheel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] As used herein, terms such as top, bottom, vertical, andhorizontal are used to define features of the compact butter maker ofthe invention relative to one another. Such terms are not intended tolimit the invention to any particular orientation other than withrespect to the components of the butter maker. As used herein, thephrase “adapted and configured” is defined to be equivalent to thephrases “constructed and arranged” or “arranged and configured.”

[0006] The present invention relates to a compact butter maker suitablefor use in a modern kitchen. The compact butter maker is advantageouslyof a size that can be used conveniently on a countertop to provide anamount of butter used by a typical family over one or more days or aweek or two, or for entertaining. The compact butter maker of theinvention is a modern appliance with an appearance and operatingcharacteristics compatible with the modem kitchen. The exterior of thecompact butter maker can be of metal or plastic, with modem contours,with colors or finishes that are in harmony with the contemporary ortraditional kitchen, and with a surface that can easily be cleaned withhousehold cleaning agents. During operation, the compact butter makermay generate a low level of noise, for example, from the hum of themotor, the movement of the drive and dasher, and the churning of theliquid, but the noise is at an acceptable level for an appliance thatruns for a prolonged time in a modern kitchen. The compact butter makerprovides an advantageous countertop churn.

[0007] Compact butter maker 1 includes a cream container 3, a drivehousing 5, a drive 7, and a dasher 9. Drive housing 5 houses drive 7,which is coupled to dasher 9 by rod system 11 that drives dasher 9 inlinear or reciprocal motion. Drive housing 5 and cream container 3 areconfigured to position dasher 9 within cream container 3 in anorientation where drive 7 can move dasher 9 in reciprocal motion withincontainer 3. Drive housing 5 and cream container 3 can reversibly coupleto one another to provide stability during the reciprocal churning ofdasher 9 and the conversion of cream to butter in cream container 3.Advantageously, dasher 9 and container 3 have complementary shapes.Preferably, dasher 9 and cream container 3 are dimensioned withtolerances that provide narrow a channel between dasher 9 and an innerwall 13 of container 3 and create turbulent flow of the cream and/orbutter during reciprocal motion of dasher 9. Such turbulent flow isadvantageous for converting cream to butter. Typically, a period ofabout 5 minutes of reciprocal motion of dasher 9 in cream is sufficientto convert the cream to butter.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, cream container 3 defines a generallycylindrical cavity 15 with a concave bottom 17. Cream container 3 ispreferably taller than it is wide, and dasher 9 moves reciprocally alongaxis 19 of the cylinder. Although cream container 3 generally has axis19 longer than its diameter, the mass and diameter of the creamcontainer are sufficient to provide stability to compact butter maker 1during its operation. Such stability can also be provided or augmentedby a flared bottom to the cream container, which provides the base ofthe container with a larger diameter than the cavity, or with frictionalor adhesive feet or pads that impede or prevent lateral movement of thebutter maker on a surface.

[0009] Advantageously, cavity 15 defined by cream container 3 and dasher9 have complementary shapes. For example, a square cylindrical cavity iscomplementary to a square cylindrical dasher and a cylindrical cavity 15with a concave bottom 17 is complementary to a cylindrical dasher 9 witha convex end 23. The complementary shapes are selected to provide aspace between container 3 and dasher 9 that provides for turbulent flowof the cream during reciprocal motion of dasher 9. Advantageously, whendasher 9 is moving reciprocally in generally cylindrical cavity 15,container 3 and dasher 9 define an annular ring-shaped space betweendasher 9 and container 3. At its closest approach to bottom 17 ofcontainer 3, dasher 9 does not contact the bottom of the container.Typically, dasher 9 moves to within about 0.030 inches of the bottom ofthe container.

[0010] Container 3 is open at top end 25 to receive cream and dasher 9,and for removing butter. Top end 25 of container 3 also includesapparatus 27 for reversibly connecting or mating to drive housing 5. Forexample, drive housing 5 can threadably engage top 25 of container 3;drive housing 5 can define a cavity of larger diameter than container 3,and in which container 3 nests; drive housing 5 can have a tab whichrotatably engages a locking receptacle on container 3; container 3 canhave a locking tab 27 that rotatably engages a locking receptacle 29 ondrive housing 5; clamps on either drive housing 5 or container 3 canengage a member on the other; or the like. Advantageously, drive housing5 reversibly mates with or engages the cream container by twisting andlocking in place, preferably, with only about ⅛ of a revolution oftwist. Drive housing 5 and the cream container 3 are coupled duringoperation to retain drive housing 5 on container 3 and to preventrelease of cream and/or butter during reciprocal motion of dasher 9.

[0011] Drive housing 5 houses drive 7 and can include any fixtures,couplers, attachments, conduits, or ports needed for operation of drive7. In one embodiment, drive housing 5 includes one or more plates 31positioned along a horizontal cross-section of housing 5 and defining anaperture for passage of a shaft 35 connected to dasher 9. In generallycylindrical drive housing 5, plate 31 is generally radially oriented andincludes generally centered aperture 33 through which shaft 35 passes.Aperture 33 can be, for example, circular or a slot. Advantageously,aperture 33 is configured to retain shaft 35 in a generally verticalorientation. Drive housing 5 houses and retains drive 7 in a manner thatallows drive 7 to transmit circular motion from a motor 37 to linear orreciprocal motion of shaft 35 and dasher 9.

[0012] Drive 7 includes motor 37 and a conversion system 39 to convertrotational motion of motor 37 to linear or reciprocal motion of shaft 35and dasher 9. In one embodiment, drive 7 includes motor 37 rotatablycoupled to a wheel 41, which is in turn pivotably coupled to aconnecting rod or pitman 43, which is pivotably connected to shaft 35.Motor 37 can be rotatably coupled to wheel 41 through any conversionsystem 39 suitable for converting rotational motion of motor 37 torotational motion of wheel 41. Advantageously, the coupling reduces thenumber of revolutions of wheel 41 compared to motor 37. Such couplingcan be accomplished using one or more gears 43, one or more belts,frictional contact between a small wheel and a larger wheel, or thelike. Motor 37 is preferably a small electric motor operable onhousehold current, such as 120 volts 60 cycles or 210 volts 50 cycles.Wheel 41 is pivotably connected to connecting rod or pitman 43 using anysuitable apparatus such as a pin 45, a retaining pin, a bearing, or thelike. Preferably, wheel 41 and connecting rod 43 are coupled by pin 45,which can be attached to either the rod or the wheel. Preferably, thepivotal connection of wheel 41 and connecting rod 43 does not requireexternal lubrication, and preferably, is self-lubricating. Connectingrod 43 is similarly coupled to shaft 35. Shaft 35 can extend throughoptional plates 31 in drive housing 5 and is rigidly coupled to dasher 9so that dasher 9 does not move laterally or vertically relative to rod35.

[0013] Dasher 9 provides agitation, mixing, and/or turbulence of creamand/or butter in cream container 3. Dasher 9 is configured to occupy asignificant portion of cavity 15 that contains cream. In this fashion,cream is displaced at least horizontally as dasher 9 undergoesreciprocal vertical motion. Advantageously, dasher 9 also has sufficientheight to provide a significant vertical channel between dasher 9 andwall 13 of container 3. Such a channel provides additional agitation ofthe cream during reciprocal motion of dasher 9. In a preferredembodiment, container 3 defines a cylindrical cavity 15 with concavebottom 17, and dasher 9 has a generally cylindrical shape with a convexend 23. The dimensions of the dasher and the container are chosen toprovide a space for cream between the dasher and the cavity that isadvantageous for agitation of the cream to produce butter.

[0014] Compact butter maker 1 of the invention can be assembled toprovide for convenient use in a home kitchen. For example, dasher 9 and,optionally, a portion 47 of the shaft can be detached from drive housing5 for cleaning, and another portion 49 of shaft 35 remains coupled todrive 7. In addition, the materials used for construction of theportions of the butter maker which contact the cream and/or butter canbe plastic, stainless steel, teflon, or another substance from whichbutter or dairy products can be removed readily. Advantageously, theexterior of compact butter maker 1 is made from similar materials foreasy cleaning and tidy appearance in a home kitchen.

[0015] The compact butter maker of the invention can be used for makingbutter by placing cream container 3 on its base 47 on a table orcountertop, and adding milk or cream to cavity 15. Salt or coloring canbe added to the cream before it is churned into butter. Then drivehousing 5 is coupled to cream container 3 with dasher 9 oriented forreciprocal motion in cavity 15 defined by container 3. Power, such aselectrical power, is provided to drive 7, such as by closing a switch,to provide reciprocal motion of dasher 9. Reciprocal motion of dasher 9agitates the cream and/or milk in container 3, and over a period ofabout 5 minutes, converts the cream and/or milk to butter. When thebutter is made, drive housing 5 can be removed from the cream containerto provide access to cavity 15 containing butter, and possiblybuttermilk. Buttermilk, if any, can be removed from the butter, and thebutter can be removed with a spoon, a spatula, or another suitableutensil. Salt can be added to the butter after churning. The butter canthen be formed into the desired shape and refrigerated, or useddirectly.

[0016] One of skill in the art can envision that the foregoingdescription employs the terms vertical, horizontal, top, and bottom in arelative sense. One of skill in the art knows that the butter maker ofthe invention could be constructed with the axis of the reciprocatingmotion of the dasher in an orientation that is not strictly vertical tothe plane of the earth. For example, the reciprocal motion could be atan acute or oblique angle, or even horizontal if provision were made forretaining cream or butter within the container and for adding cream,preferably in a manner that the cream can be poured into the containerand does not leak out during addition.

[0017] The invention has been described with reference to variousspecific and preferred embodiments and techniques. However, it should beunderstood that many variations and modifications may be made whileremaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A compact butter maker comprising: a cream container, adrive housing, a drive, and a generally cylindrical dasher; the drivehousing the drive, the drive being coupled to the dasher and adapted andconfigured to drive the dasher in reciprocal motion; the drive housingand the cream container being adapted and configured to reversibly mateand to position the dasher in the cream container for reciprocal motiontherein; the dasher and the container having complementary shapes, thedasher being dimensioned to fit within the container with tolerancesthat provide space between the dasher and the container for circulationof cream or butter during reciprocal motion of the dasher; whereby thecirculation of cream during the reciprocal motion converts the cream tobutter.
 2. The compact butter maker of claim 1 , wherein the creamcontainer defines a generally cylindrical cavity with a concave bottom.3. The compact butter maker of claim 1 , wherein the drive housingreversibly mates with the cream container by twisting and locking inplace with about ⅛ of a revolution of twist.
 4. The compact butter makerof claim 1 , wherein the drive housing comprises one or more plates,each plate being generally oriented along a horizontal cross section ofthe housing, the plate defining an aperture for the shaft, the apertureretaining the shaft in a generally vertical orientation.
 5. The compactbutter maker of claim 4 , wherein the drive housing is generallycylindrical and the passage is generally circular.
 6. The compact buttermaker of claim 4 , wherein the passage is a slot.
 7. The compact buttermaker of claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises a motor rotatably coupledto a wheel, the wheel being pivotably coupled to a connecting rod, theconnecting rod being pivotably connected to the shaft; wherebyrotational motion of the motor is transformed to reciprocal motion ofthe shaft.
 8. The compact butter maker of claim 7 , further comprisingone or more gears adapted and configured to rotably couple the motor tothe wheel.
 9. The compact butter maker of claim 7 , further comprising aself lubricating pin pivotably coupling the wheel to the connecting rod.10. The compact butter maker of claim 7 , further comprising a selflubricating pin pivotably coupling the connecting rod to the shaft. 11.The compact butter maker of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises afirst portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled tothe connecting rod, the second portion being removable from the firstportion; whereby the second portion can he removed from the butter makerfor cleaning.
 12. The compact butter maker of claim 1 , wherein thedasher is generally cylindrical with a convex end distal to the rod. 13.The compact butter maker of claim 1 , wherein the dasher is removablycoupled to the shaft; whereby the dasher can be removed from the buttermaker for cleaning.
 14. The compact butter maker of claim 1 , whereinthe dasher has a plurality of channels in its surface.